Fluid sampling device



' J. J. TOKHEIM FLUID SAMPLING DEVICE Aug. 11;, 1941.1v

Filed June 12, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Aug. 1 2, 194i UNETED 'iES T QFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a device to be used on closed or pressure-type storage tanks for gasoline, oil and other liquids for the purpose of ascertaining the temperature of the liquid in the tank, taking a sample of the liquid from the tank and ascertaining the depth of any water in the bottom of the tank without loss of tank pressure, and has generally in View to provide a practical device for these purposes which is simple in construction, of low production cost, easy to use and which is thoroughly reliable and efiicient in the performance of its functions.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in a device embodying the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Figure 2 is a central, vertical section through the device.

Figure 3 is a central, vertical section through the sample taking bottle of the device.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be observed that the present device comprises two main sections; via, a lower section designated generally as A and an upper section designated generally as B.

The lower section A comprises a valve casing I of suitable size and shape completely closed except at its top and bottom where it is provided with vertically alined openings II and I2, respectively. Fixed to and depending from the bottom of said casing in alinement with the openings II and I2 is a pipe nipple I3 which, at its lower end, is intended to be connected to the top of a liquid storage tank to securely and rigidly support the casing If! thereon and to provide communication between the tank and the interior of said casing II).

Within the casing It at the top thereof in surrounding relationship to the opening I I is a downwardly facing valve seat number I 4 with which cooperates a valve I5. This valve is carried by an arm It rigid with and extending radially from a shaft ll, and,as shown, said shaft I1 is disposed horizontally in offset relationship laterally to the openings II and I2. Accordingly,

by rotation of the shaft Il the valve 15 is swingable between a horizontal position closing the opening II, as shown by full lines in Figure 2, and a vertical, completely laterally offset position with respect to said openings II and I2 as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2.

The shaft I1 is rotatably mounted in opposite side walls of the casing I0 and at one end extends exteriorly of said casing and is equipped with a weighted arm I8 WhiCh SBIVGS to maintain the valve I5 normally closed and by means of which said valve may readily be swung to its closed and open positions.

The upper section B comprises an open-top, open-bottom casing I9 of cylindrical or other suitable form carrying at its top a reel housing 24) and provided at its bottom with an exterior, ring-like reinforcement 2I which may be either integralwith or separate from said casing. Extending laterally outward from the housing at and from the reinforcement 2! are apertured lugs 22 and 23, respectively, the apertures of which are vertically alined and accommodate a post 24 which is rigid with and rises from the top of the valve casing I!) in lateral offset relationship to the openings I I and I2. By means of the lugs 22 and 23 the upper section B is mounted on the post 24 for rotation or swinging movement between a position in which the casing I 9 is alined with the openings I I and I2 of the valve casing I0 and a position in which said casing I9 is disposed to one side of said valve casing Ii].

At its top the valve casing I0 is provided with a reinforcement 25 which may be either integral with or separate from said casing and which carries at its top a gasket 26 upon which the bottom of the reinforcement 2I alines when the upper section B is positioned with its casing I9 in alinement with the openings II and I2.

Surrounding the post 24 between the lug 23 and the top of the valve casing I0 is an expansion coil spring'2l which tends constantly to elevate the upper section B relative to the lower section A, while carried by the reinforcement 25 at points suitably spaced therearound are pivotbolts 28 for cooperation with lugs 29 extending from the reinforcement 2| to clamp the upper section B upon the lower section A.

Within the reel housing 20 is suitably journaled a horizontal shaft 30 on which is secured a reel 3| having wound thereon a steel tape 32. One end of the shaft 30 extends exteriorly of the housing 20 and is provided with a handle 33 for eifecting its rotation to wind the tape 32 onto said reel 3| and to control rotation of said shaft to regulate unwinding of said tape from said reel. The shaft 30 also is provided with a ratchet wheel 34 with which cooperates a dog 35 to hold the reel 32 against tape unwinding rotation. At its top the reel housing 20 is provided with a window 36 through which indications on the tape 32 may be viewed.

The reel 3| is laterally offset with respect to the axes of the casing [9 so that the tape 32, which depends from said reel into said casing, is disposed substantially axially with respect to said casing. The tape 32 serves as a suspension means for a testing unit designated generally as C.

The testing unit C comprises a sample taking bottle composed, in the present instance, of a glass cylinder 3? closed at its top and bottom by caps 38 and 39, respectively, clamped against the ends of said cylinder by the rods 40.

In the cap 38 is a small vent-hole 4i and an opening 42 for flow of liquid into the cylinder 3?, the opening 42 preferably communicatin with said cylinder through a tube 43 depending from said cap 38 to a point suitably spaced above the cap 39. To permit draining of the cylinder 3! the bottom cap 3% is provided with a drain cock 44.

Mounted in any suitable manner within the cylinder 31 is a thermometer 45, while mounted in any suitable manner exteriorly of said cylinder is a vertically elongated strip 46 of metal or other suitable material having a roughened outer face to have chalk applied for a purpose, which will presently appear. In the present instance the strip 46 extends from a point below the lower cap 39 upwardly across said lower cap to the upper cap 38 and is fastened by screws to said caps.

A factor in calculating the quantity of gasoline and other liquids in a storage tank is the temperature of the liquid in the tank, the standard temperature in this respect for gasoline being 60 F. Therefore, whenever it is desired to ascertain the quantity of gasoline or other liquid in a storage tank, it is important to know the temperature of the liquid. Likewise, taking samples of gasoline, oil or other liquid from storage tanks at intervals is desirable in order to ascertain the grade of the liquid and to obtain other information respecting same. For one reason or another water collects in the bottoms of storage tanks for gasoline, oil and the like. Therefore, in order to ascertain the quantity of gasoline, oil or the like in a storage tank it is necessary to know the level of any water which may be contained in the bottom of the tank.

Normally the testing unit C of the present device is disposed in the casing 19 and the valve I5 is closed, preventing any loss of pressure from the tank on which the device is mounted. When, however, it is desired to ascertain the temperature of the gasoline, oil or the like in the tank, or to take a sample of the gasoline, oil or the like from the tank, as to ascertain the level of any water which may be contained in the bottom of the tank, or to accomplish all of these purposes, the arm I8 is swung to swing the valve [5 from its closed position to its open position illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 2. Loss of pressure from the tank does not occur because the sections A and B of the device are clamped together in fluid tight relationship and because said sections,

when clamped together, are themselves fluid itight. By means of the tape 32 the unit C then is'lowered from the casing [9 through the openings II and l2'and'the'nipple-l3 into the storage iii) tank. And as the unit C descends into the liquid in the tank liquid flows into the cylinder 31 at a rate as determined by the size of the vent hole 4!. If an average sample of the liquid is desired the unit C is lowered at a slow rate so that it will gradually fill as it descends. If, on the other hand, a sample of the liquid at any given depth is desired, the unit C quickly is lowered to the desired depth and is maintained at that depth over a suflicient period of time to permit the desired amount of liquid to enter the cylinder It. The temperature of the liquid is, of course, registered by the thermometer 45.

Preferably the lower cap 39 of the unit C is provided with one or more depending pointed legs 41 to penetrate any mud or sediment that may be contained in the bottom of the storage tank and to contact with the bottom wall of the tank to determine the lowermost position to which the unit C may be lowered into the tank; also to assure that said unit C will not be stopped in its descent by mud or sediment contained in the tank, but always will descend to a predetermined lowermost position when permitted to do so by the tape 32. By applying chalk or the like to the strip 46 prior to lowering the device C into the tank and by lowering said device to its lowermost limit in the tank there will be clearly registered on said strip the level of any water contained in the bottom of the tank.

After immersion of the unit C over a sufficient period of time to permit a desired amount of the liquid in the tank to enter the cylinder IS, .the reel 3! is, by means of the handle 33, rotated to wind the tape 32 thereon and to elevate the unit C to its original position within the casing 53. The valve l5 then is closed and the bolts 23 are loosened and swung to positions to release the upper section B from the lower section A.

The spring 21 then acts to slightly elevate the upper section B so that it may readily be swung about the post 24. The upper section then is swung about said post 24 to a position in which the lower, open end of the casing i9 is unobstructed by the casing l0 and the unit C then is lowered from said casing l9. The temperature registered by the thermometer is noted, as also is the level of any water in the bottom of the storage tank as registered or indicated on the strip 43. Through the cook 44 the liquid sample contained in the cylinder 31 is drained fromsaid cylinder into any suitable vessel for analyzation or for any other desired purpose. The unit C then is elevated into the casing l9, said casing is swung to its normal position in alinement with the openings l I and I2 and, by means of the bolts 28, the upper section B again is clamped upon the lower section A in fluid tight relationship thereto.

The tape 32 is indexed to indicate different depths of the unit C in the storage tank. Thus, by reference to the tape indices, which are clearly visible through the window 36, the unit C may be lowered to any desired, definite depth within the storage tank.

While not essential, the unit C preferably is provided at its top with an upwardly tapered cap-piece 43 to guide said unit into the nipple I3 7 when said unit is elevated from the storage tank. The cap-piece 48 may be formed from sheet metal into inverted cup form as shown and may be fastened against the top of the cap 38 by means of nuts threaded on upper end portions of the tie rods 40 which extend above said cap and through said cap-piece. If a cap-piece 48 is used it is suitably apertured to permit access of liquid to the opening 42 and escape of air from the cylinder 31 through the vent hole 4|.

It is desirable to provide means to maintain the valve l5 in its open position when the unit C is disposed below said valve, thus to insure against interference of said valv with raising of said unit into the casing l9. To this end there is slidably mounted on the tape 32, above the unit C, a stop member 49 to move downwardly with the unit C when the latter is lowered into the storage tank, but to contact with the wall surrounding the opening [2 in th bottom of the casing and to thereby be arrested in its downward movement in a position to constitute a stop preventing closing of the valve I5. When the unit C is raised engagement of its top with the member 49 results in said member being picked up and carried into the casing I9. The member 49 preferably is downwardly tapered to enter the opening I! and to be held against lateral movement by the wall surrounding said opening, and preferably is upwardly tapered so as readily to enter the opening I8 and to assist in guiding the unit G into said opening during raising of said unit.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim":

1. A device of the character described comprising a lower section in the form of a valve casing having top and bottom alined openings, means for mounting said lower section upon the top of a liquid tank with said openings alined with an opening in the tank top, a valve within said casing movable between a position to close the opening in the top of said casing and a position in laterally offset relationship to said openings, an upper section including an open-bottom casing, means mounting said upper section upon said lower section for movement between a position in which said open-bottom casing is alined with the openings in said lower section and a position in which said open-bottom casing is disposed to one side of said lower section casing, means for releasably securing said upper section in its first mentioned position in fluid tight relationship to said lower section, a testing unit disposed normally in the casing of said upper section, and means for lowering said testing unit from and for elevating same into the casing of said upper section casing.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in' which the means mounting the upper section upon the lower section comprises a post supported by and rising from the lower section in laterally offset relationship to the openings therein, and apertured lugs on the upper section through which said post extends.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the meansmounting the upper section upon the lower section comprises a post supported by and rising from the lower section in laterally offset relationship to the openings therein, apertured lugs on the upper section through which said post extends, and spring means tending constantly to elevate said upper section to a position relative to said lower section to permit free swinging of the upper section about said post.

4. A device of the character described comprising a lower section in the form of a valve casing having top and bottom alined openings, means for mounting said lower section upon the top of a liquid tank with said openings alined with an opening in the tank top, a valve Within said casing movable between a position to close the opening in the top of said casing and a position in laterally offset relationship to said openings, an upper section including an open-bottom casing, means mounting said upper section upon said lower section for movement between a position in which said open-bottom casing is alined with the openings in said lower section and a position in which said open-bottom casing is disposed to one side of said lower section casing, means for releasably securing said upper section in its first mentioned position in fluid tight relationship to said lower section, a testing unit disposed normally in the casing of said upper section, a reel mounted in a top portion of the upper section, means for rotating said reel, a tape wound on said reel and having said testing unit suspended therefrom, and a member slidably mounted on said tape to contact with and to be stopped by a portion of the lower section in a position to prevent closing of said valve when said valve is open and the testing unit is lowered through the openings in said lower section.

JOHN J. TOKHEIM. 

